Controller.



H. W. CHENEY.

CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED 11111.4, 1911.

Patented June 25, 1912.

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H. W. CHENEY.

CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED NARA. 1911. 1 030 5 9 Patented June 25, 1912.

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H. W. CHENEY.

CONTROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4, 1911.

Patented June 25, 1912.

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CONTROLLER.

APPLIOATION FILED Mum, 1911.

Patented June 25, 1912.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERBERT W. CHENEY, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOB TO ALLIS-GHALMERS COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CONTROLLER.

Application filed March 4,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT V. CHENEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of lVisconsimhave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Controllers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to starting controllers for electric motors, and more particularly to protective devices therefor.

In operating starting devices for some types of motors, particularly potential starters for induction motors, it is often undesirable that the controller be moved backward from a running position to a starting position. To this end controllers have been designed which move directly from the running to the off position without passing through the starting positions. Potential starters, in which means are provided for preventing the controller from being moved backward from a running to a starting position or from an 0E position directly to a running position, while allowing a backward movement of the controller from any starting position, have been constructed. It was possible, however, for controllers such as those mentioned to be leftin a starting position indefinitely instead of being moved to running position as soon as the motor has gained sufficient speed. A. the various windings, which are connected in circuit when the controller is in a starting position, are not proportioned to carry operator while it is in a starting position.

It may also sometimes be desirable to have means, whereby with such a controller as shown in such patent, for automatically moving the controller forward from running position to OH position in case abnor- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 25, 1912.

1911. Serial No. 612,415.

mal conditions, such as no voltage conditions, arise.

It is the object of my present invention to provide such means.

The novel features of my invention will appear from the description and drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying sheets of drawings, in which Figure 1 is an end elevation of a controller embodying my invention, the controller being shown in OK position; Fig. 2 is a side elevation, parts being in section, of that shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of my improved controller in running position; and Fig. 4: shows a diagram of the electrical connections.

The details of the starting controller proper will not be fully described herein because they form no part of my present invention and are unnecessary to an understanding thereof. lVhat does not appear from the following description is fully set forth in my aforesaid patent.

A three-phase induction motor M is here shown and is supplied by current, through a suitable operating drum 10 and contact fingers 16 cooperating therewith, from three-phase mains f, g, and h.

The normal operation of the controller is continuously in the same direction, a movement through 180 constituting a complete operation. The controller drum 10, which is immersed in oil in a tank 11, is moved by an operating handle 12 through a shaft- 13 and gear wheels 11 and 15. The two opposite halves of the controller drum are identical in structure and each half cooperates in turn with each of two sets of contact fingers 16 during successive operations of the controller, the sets of contact fingers being on opposite sides of the drum and arranged to simultaneously co-act with the two halves of the drum respectively.

Fixed on the shaft 13, which carries the gear wheel 1a and handle 12,-are two cams 17 and 18 preferably formed integrally with each other, and a dog 19 which may be either secured to the cam members or formed integrally therewith. Alever 20, pivotally mounted on a support 21, is provided with a roller 22 which is held at all the lever 20 and the frame 2 1 of the con troller. As the controller drum is moved in a clockwise direction from off to starting position the lever is swung about its support stretching or storing energy in the spring 23, and if the operator releases his grasp on the handle 12 with the controller in this position, the spring carries the controller drum back to off position, as shown in Fig. 1. Thus it is impossible for the controller to be left in a starting position without attention. If the operator does not release his grasp on the handle 12 while the controller is in starting position, but when the motor has gained sufficient speed moves such handle substantially 60 farther in a clockwise direction, the controller is brought to running position, as shown in Fig. 3, thus storing up still more energy in the spring. The roller 22 in this running position has passed over the highest point of the cam 17 and the controlled drum is biased forward to off position. The controller is held in running position by the dog 19 engaging the weighted end 25 of a pivo-tally mounted latch 26 which is provided with an arm having a roller 27.

As the controller is moved from oif to running position, a roller 28, secured in a pivotally mounted arm 29 which is mounted on the same support 29 with latch 26, rides on the cam 18. A link 30, connecting the arm 29 and the pivotally mounted armature 31 of a magnet 32, is so connected with the armature 31 that when the controller is moved from off to running position, the roller 28 riding on the cam 18 transmits motion through the link 30 raising the armature 31 into engagement with the core 33 of the magnet 32. While passing from oft" to running position the magnet 32, which is connected in circuit, has become energized, and thus when the armature is moved into close proximity with the magnet the armature is immediately attracted to the core of the magnet and retained there. As the controller is moved from starting position to running position and after the armature has been drawn to the core of the magnet, the cam 18 passes out of engagement with the roller 28 and the dog 19 passes into engagement with and is held fast by the latch 26. By this latch normally holding the dog 19 against forward movement, the controller drum is retained in running position during all normal operating conditions.

In case the supply of current fails and no voltage circuit conditions arise, the magnet will be unable to hold the armature 31 to its core 33 due to the fact that the armature is biased away from the magnet core by the weighted side plates 34 between which the laminated portion 35 of the armature is retained. The weighted armature will therefore, upon no-voltage conditions, fall and a bracket 36 secured to one of the side plates 34 will be forced against the roller 27, raising the latch 26 and permitting the controller under the tension of the spring 23 to move to off position, as shown in Fig. 1, this off position being 180 from the off position from which the start was nade. A loose connection 38 between the armature 31 and the link 30 is provided for the purpose of preventing too great a jar upon the roller 28 when the armature falls to release the dog 19 for permitting the drum 10 to fly into off position. The controller may also be moved manually forward from running position to off position by applying a little force to a lever 37 which is secured to the rotatable support 29 to which the latch 26 is fixed.

There may be many modifications of the precise form and arrangementherein shown and described, and I aim to cover all such modifications which do not involve a departure from the spirit and scope of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim as new is:

1. In a controller the movable member of which is biased backward to ofi' position when in starting position and biased forward to off position when in running position, means for normally locking said movable member against forward movement when it is in running position, and means including an armature separable from said locking means responsive to no-voltage and being adapted to engage said locking means for releasing said movable member from said locking means.

2. In a controller the movable member of which is biased backward to off position when in starting position and biased forward to off position when in running position, means for normally locking said movable member against forward movement when it is in running position, and means including an armature separable from said locking means responsive to an abnormal circuit condition and being adapted to engage said locking means for releasing said movable member from said locking means.

3. In a controller, contact fingers, a rotatable drum cooperating therewith, said drum having off and running positions, means for normally locking said drum in running position, and means including an armature separable from said locking means responsive to no-voltage and being adapted to engage said locking means for releasing said drum from said locking means.

4. In a controller, cooperating movable and stationary switch members having off and running positions, a magnet the armature of which is brought into engagement with the core of said magnet when said movable switch member is moved from ofi to running position, and means mechanically disconnected from said armature for normally locking said movable member in running position, said armature upon the occurrence of no-voltage circuit conditions being adapted to engage said locking means to permitsaid movable switch member to move into ofl position.

5. In a controller, contact fingers, a rotatable drum having off and running positions, a magnet having an armature, means for moving said armature into engagement with the core of said magnet when said drum is moved from oil to running position, and a latch independent of the armature for normally locking said drum in running position, said armature upon the occurrence of abnormal circuit conditions engaging said latch to release said drum.

6. In a controller, cooperating stationary and movable contact members, said movable contact member having off and running positions, a latch for normally locking said movable member in running position, and a cam-actuated armature adapted to engage said latch for releasing said movable con tact member upon the occurrence of novoltage conditions.

7 In a controller, a shaft, a drum switch actuated through said shaft, a cam on said shaft, a magnet having an armature moved into contact with the core of said magnet by said cam, and a latch for locking said drum switch in an operative position, said armature adapted to engage said latch for releas ing said drum switch upon the occurrence of abnormal circuit conditions.

8. In a controller, contact fingers, a rotatable drum cooperating therewith, said drum having off and running positions, a magnet having an armature, and a cam adapted to move said armature into contact with the core of said magnet when the drum is moved from off to running position, means for biasing said drum forward to ofI position when in running position, and means for locking said drum in running position, said armature being adapted to engage said locking means for releasing said drum upon the occurrence of no-voltage circuit conditions.

9. In a controller, contact fingers, a rotatable drum cooperating therewith, a cam, a magnet the armature of which is connected to a roller member adapted to engage said cam to set said armature in contact with the core ofsaid magnet, and a pivoted latch adapted to lock said drum in an operative position, said armature being adapted to engage said latch for releasing said drum upon the occurrence of no-voltage circuit con ditions.

10. In a controller, contact fingers, a rotatable drum cooperating therewith, said drum having off and running positions, means for normally locking said drum in running position, and means including an armature mechanically disconnected from said locking means adapted to be automatically withdrawn from its magnet and adapted to engage said locking means for releasing said drum from said locking means.

11. In a controller, contact fingers, a ro tatable drum cooperating therewith, said drum having off and running positions, means for normally locking said drum in running position, an armature adapted to engage said locking means for releasing said drum from said locking means, and manually operated means for releasing said drum from said locking means.

12. In a controller, contact fingers, a rotatable drum cooperating therewith, said drum having off and running positions, means for normally locking said drum in running position, and means including an armature adapted to be automatically or manually withdrawn from its magnet and adapted to engage said locking means for releasing said drum from said locking means.

Milwaukee, Wis, Feb. 20, 1911,.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

HERBERT IV. CHENEY.

lVitnesses CHAS. L. BYRON, R013. E. STOLL.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

